The Peace & Wonder of Christmas – We Worship the Prince of Peace

December 23, 2018
Doug Humphrey (Senior Pastor)
Christmas, Peace, Wonder, Worship
Ephesians, Isaiah, James, John, Luke, Matthew, Philippians

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The Peace & Wonder of Christmas – We Worship the Prince of Peace – 2 of 3

SERMON SUMMARY

The Christmas season is supposed to be a time of peace and good will toward mankind. But too often that is anything but the case. How many of you can honestly say that your primary emotion during this season is a prevailing sense of peace? We need to remedy that! We need to worship more, spend less. Give more, love more. Jesus beckons us (Matthew 11:28; John 14:27). Luke 2:8-14 shows us the way.

Why did Jesus come? Why did He step out of heaven and take on human flesh? He came to bring us peace (Luke 2:14; cf. Ephesians 6:15). But what sort of the peace that Jesus came to bring? The peace Jesus offers impacts us on four levels. [1] Spiritual Peace In Christ we are offered peace with God. Now that may not seem like a big deal to you, until you consider the alternative! (Habakkuk 1:13; Isaiah 59:2; Romans 5:1-2). But Jesus also offers social peace by uniting people of all backgrounds into one spiritual family, the family of God—[2] Social Peace You can visit a church in Kenya or Mexico and have an instant social connection with the people you meet there. Your skin color may be different, your political leanings may be different, your cultural affinities may be different, but all of those things pale in significance to the bond you share in Christ (Ephesians 2:14-15, 18-19). In addition to spiritual peace and social peace, Jesus also offers us… [3] Psychological Peace. All psychological problems, with the exception of those with organic origins, have spiritual roots. We were created to live in a perfect environment, and yet because sin has entered into the system, we are forced to live in a fallen, imperfect world. And that inevitably leads to some degree of psychological trauma. This trauma is worsened when we try to manage life apart from God. God didn’t create us to live independently from Him. We weren’t designed to be self-sufficient and autonomous, and yet many of us persist in trying to go at it alone! (James 4:8; Philippians 4:6-7). But the peace God gives transcends all understanding and will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, Jesus came to provide [4] Geopolitical Peace When Jesus returns He will set up a worldwide kingdom over which He will reign as king. His coming will initiate a time of unparalleled peace—there will be no wars, no conflicts (Isaiah 9:6-7 cf. 2:4; 32:16-18; 65:19-25). Peace and abundance. Church, this is our future! This is what Christ, the Prince of Peace, will bring to us at His second coming. This is our destiny! It is no wonder that on that first Christmas morning the angels proclaimed, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.”

So, how should we respond in light of his coming? We should worship Him! We were created to worship. We are at our highest and best when we worship. Worship is a way of gladly reflecting back to God the radiance of His worth. True worship involves the heart and the head, the emotions as well as the intellect. It begins by acknowledging God’s worth—His greatness, His goodness to us. As we contemplate the various dimensions of peace Christ brings us, it should move us to express our gratitude and praise back to Him. Worship is reflected in many ways: in singing and serving, in preaching and praying, in baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Worship involves living your life joyfully for the glory of God, making Him the center of all that you do. This Christmas season, let’s not allow ourselves to get caught up in all of the anxiety that often accompanies this time of the year. Let’s join the angels of heaven and the shepherds of the field, by worshipping Jesus, the Prince of Peace.

APPLICATION / CHALLENGE

This Christmas season, let’s not allow ourselves to get caught up in all of the anxiety that often accompanies this time of the year.
Instead, let’s join the angels of heaven and the shepherds of the field, by worshipping Jesus, the Prince of Peace.

TAKE ONE STEP

Each week, write down one doable concrete step of obedience, small or large that you will put into practice this week. (James 1:22: “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.”)